In the midst of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus digressed a bit from his main theme to address the matter of judging others. Our Lord spoke very pointedly to His hearers: “Don’t criticize people, and you will not be criticized. For you will be judged by the way you criticize others, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and fail to notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a plank in your own? You fraud! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you can see clearly enough to remove your brother’s speck of dust!” (Matthew 7:1-5/ Phillips)
Years ago, Bishop Potter was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger had been asked to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, Bishop Potter came up to the purser’s desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from the man’s appearance, the Bishop was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser quickly accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, “it’s all right, Bishop, I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has already been up here and left his valuables for the same reason!”
Somehow it’s easier to jump to negative conclusions about people than it is to assume the best about them. When we do this, we ascribe to them bad intentions and evil purposes that may not be true. We also reveal something about ourselves, for the faults we see in others are actually a reflection of our own.
Don’t be too harsh with the person who sins,
Nor pelt him with words or stones,
Unless you’re sure — yes doubly sure,
That you have no sins of your own.
